


When the Clock Hits Zero

by Umbr_el_on



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Secret Santa, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates, Trans Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21799435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbr_el_on/pseuds/Umbr_el_on
Summary: As Felix made another swing for Sylvain with his wooden training sword, a shrill beep broke his focus. Felix faltered, and Sylvain blocked his swing. Sylvain twisted his lance around to throw Felix’s balance off to the side. He followed up, poking Felix’s stomach with the tip of the wooden spear. Sylvain held the position for a second, a smug look on his face, as Felix huffed and blew some strands of hair off of his face.Written for sylvixsanta2019!
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sylvain Jose Gautier/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 5
Kudos: 116
Collections: Sylvix Squad Super Stories





	When the Clock Hits Zero

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scatteringmyashes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatteringmyashes/gifts).



As Felix made another swing for Sylvain with his wooden training sword, a shrill beep broke his focus. Felix faltered, and Sylvain blocked his swing. Sylvain twisted his lance around to throw Felix’s balance off to the side. He followed up, poking Felix’s stomach with the tip of the wooden spear. Sylvain held the position for a second, a smug look on his face, as Felix huffed and blew some strands of hair off of his face.

“I yield,” Felix said, crossing his arms and looking off to his left.

Sylvain dropped his weapon with a hollow thud, opening his mouth to speak before another shrill beep cut him off. Felix groaned at the sound, shaking his head as he walked over to put his weapon away. He could feel sweat sticking his binder to his body, where it made his ribs ache. He wasn’t interested in getting another scolding from Manuela for working out with it on for too long.

“We should try to cool off. No need to be sore if we can avoid it.” Sylvain crosses an arm over his chest, using the other to pull it tighter and stretch his shoulder.

Felix doesn’t respond, ducking behind a rack of gauntlets where his bag is, to unclasp his binder under his shirt. He stuffs it into the bag before walking back out, trying to ignore the glow from his wrist. Sylvain has switched arms already, so Felix decides to wait and join in on the next motion.

“This is stupid,” Felix says, mimicking Sylvain as the redhead bends down to touch his toes.

“Hey, at least it’ll be over soon,” Sylvain’s voice strains as he stretches his hamstrings.

Felix grunts in response. Before he can help it, his eyes sweep over the numbers ticking on his wrist. They’re glowing red, as they always do in the last hour until the timer runs down to zero. His says 0 day : 0 hr : 4 min : 21 sec. Shaking his head, Felix stands back up and clasps his hands behind his chest to stretch his pecs.

“I wonder why ours are so late,” Sylvain thought out loud. “They usually end when people are a bit younger. I mean, Ashe and Dedue’s timers ran down while they were in the greenhouse a week into classes. Hell, Linhardt and Caspar’s ran out when they were six! I-“

“I don’t want to hear it.” Felix snaps. “Everyone makes such a big deal over these timers. It's like learning you’re with your soulmate is all there is in the world."

"Well, that's your opinion," Sylvain retorts. "I find the whole system fascinating. It's something to look forward to while you do other things."

"No one even bothers to try having feelings of their own anymore," Felix continues. "They let their timer tell them when to give a damn about people.”

Sylvain is quiet for a moment, looking like he wants to say something. Felix raises an eyebrow at Sylvain, pressing him to spit out whatever sits on his tongue. They stare at each other for a few more seconds before Sylvain relents. He figures he doesn’t have much to lose now that he’s minutes away from whoever his actual soulmate is.

“It kind of hurts to have feelings of your own when you know they’ll never lead anywhere.”

Felix rolls his eyes, masking the way that statement speaks to him on a personal level. “Don’t be cryptic.”

Sylvain backs up a few steps and sits down on a bench, patting the space next to him. Felix takes the hint, moving to take the open seat. He keeps his eyes fixed on Sylvain, clearing his throat. Sylvain winces with a chuckle at the sound.

“Fine, but you’re going to laugh at me.” Sylvain runs a hand through his hair, refusing to meet Felix’s eyes as he braces for what he’s about to do.

Felix puts a hold on his attitude, recognizing Sylvain needs genuine support. “I won’t. I promise.”

Sylvain spares Felix a glance, comforted by the sincerity he finds. “I…” Sylvain sighs. “There’s no easy way to say this. I’ve wanted to be with you since we were kids, but I knew it wouldn’t work. We both still had our timers, even years after we met, so we weren’t soulmates. No matter how much I wanted otherwise, I always knew better. But hey,” Sylvain forced a smile before continuing. “At least now it’s out there. Don’t have to carry that weight with me anymore.”

Felix froze. He sat still and quiet, his expression neutral as he observed Sylvain. At the reaction, Sylvain started to look concerned. The anxiety in Sylvain’s face snapped Felix out of his stupor.

“I, uh,” Felix stammered, “I’ve loved you since we were little.”

Sylvain and Felix’s eyes both widened, and Felix could feel his face turning red. “I… love you too.”

Though he tried to fight it, Felix could feel tears pricking in his eyes. Sylvain loved him too. They were in love and had been for years, but they shouldn’t be. The timers on their arms made that clear, and there they could do nothing about it.

The moment crumbled at another shrill beep, prompting Sylvain to look down at his wrist. A wave of various emotions flashed across his face in an instant. “Shit! Fuck, Felix, it's happening. Oh Goddess, what now?”

Felix was about to ask what in the Goddess’ name Sylvain was panicking about when his wrist beeped. He looked down in time to see his timer turn into a line of 0s before fading away. He stared at the blank skin, moving his other hand to brush over it to see if he could feel anything. Nothing.

By the time Felix looked up again, Sylvain had already started looking around. A quick scan by Felix revealed that no one else was there. At the realization, Felix's mind raced away before he could stop it. Did he miss someone passing through a few seconds ago? Was his supposed soulmate dead? Did he ever have a soulmate at all?

“F-Fe?”

Sylvain’s cracking voice yanked Felix out of his own mind. He looked over to see Sylvain grinning, his eyes looked wetter than usual. Felix stared back, not comprehending whatever line of thought Sylvain followed.

“I-I think it’s you. We're soulmates.” Sylvain’s voice was a whisper, but it registered all the same.

“How?” Felix was shaking, but his voice was defensive. “Our timers weren’t synced, and we’ve known each other for years already. That doesn’t make sense.”

Sylvain grabbed Felix’s hands, a few tears now trickling down his face. “They never had to be synced, Fe. They tell you when you’re ready for your soulmate, right?” Felix nodded, still not quite following and scared to get his hopes up if Sylvain was wrong.

“That moment isn't always when you meet them. Maybe we just needed to open up and be honest to be ready.” Sylvain half sobbed, half laughed after he finished speaking.

With that, Sylvain’s realization clicked for Felix. In an instant, Felix leaned over and pressed his lips against Sylvain’s. Sylvain returned the kiss with passion, moving one hand to rub circles over the sore spot on Felix’s back. Felix reciprocated, putting his free hand on Sylvain’s cheek. Felix left it there when he broke the kiss a second later.

They stayed there on the bench in silence, foreheads resting together until Shamir came to shoo them away for the night. They left, sharing whispers and chuckles, finding their way back to Felix’s room in a haze. They laid there, wrapped up in one another, sharing hushed conversations, until they fell asleep. They would update their classmates in the morning. All that mattered now was each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/el__ubert) ✨💕


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